Tearing At The Seams
by BeMyxoxo
Summary: The gang have been through everything together, thick and thin. But friendships can wear out, and bonds can be broken. With graduation coming up, can they handle the strain on their friendship? Not everyone gets a Happily Ever After...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, I changed my name again. It used to be Ember McLain. So... yeah. Sorry, but this is the last change, I promise!**

**Disclaimer: Do I look like Dan Schneider to you?**

* * *

"Face it, this group is falling apart. We should have broken up long ago." Cat snapped, her voice harsh, so unlike the mellow redhead. Tori furrowed her eyebrows.

"No! Guys! We can work something out!" she protested, her voice high and urgent.

"Never thought I'd say it, but she's right." Jade snorted. André glared at her.

"Oh, don't act like your so high and mighty!" he retorted. Jade whipped around to glare at him.

"Shut it, Harris!" she spat.

"Guys! Don't fight!" Tori, peacemaker as always tried to intervene. "We all just need to calm down and-"

"Forget it, Tori. We're going our separate ways. There's nothing we can do about it." Beck sighed, running his hand through his hair. The rain pattered down soaking the group to the bone.

"Why are we even having this conversation?" Cat complained. Robbie glanced at her forlornly. This wasn't the Cat that he had fallen in love with. The sweet, bubbly girl that he had grown to adore. No, this Cat was cold and cruel. Tori glanced around at her friends hopelessly. Robbie sighed in defeat, he glanced down at what he had become. A slave to the popular kids. A complete pushover.

"Tori, we're all changing. It's time that we went our separate ways." he explained. Tori looked around at her ex-friends. Had it really come to this? How could such a tightly woven group of friends be driven apart so far? She could hardly recognize them. She stared at them in disbelief.

"You're really going to just give up like that?" she shook her head. "No, I thought we were friends." Tori turned to André. The dark skinned boy simply turned his head. Tori couldn't believe it. The Andre she knew would never turn his head on a friend.

"You know what!" she raised her voice. "I'm glad! I'm glad that I'm going to graduate, without you guys!" she snarled.

"So am I!" Cat announced, haughtily, sticking her nose in the air.

"You know what? Me too!" Beck tossed his arms in the air. Cries of agreement went around the group. Tori stared at them.

"This is it, then." she nodded, turning on her heel. The others began to part, each going their separate ways.

"Bye, Tori." Robbie murmured quietly, before walking off to the bus stop. Cat hesitated, glancing back at the group she spent high school with. The friends that she had pulled through with, thick and thin. She glanced over at Jade, the girl who had sacrificed everything for her. The girl who had stood up for her all these years...

"André!" Tori called him back. The dreadlocked teen turned, expecting to get an earful.

"Do you believe in fate?"

* * *

**Short, I know but I'll probably get the second chapter up by tonight!**

**~ Iz**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious**

* * *

**_Three weeks before the fight..._**

"And that's how my cousin got out of jail in Sri Lanka." Sikowitz concluded, beaming at his class. The class offered hesitant applause. Tori raised her hand.

"I have a question." she announced. Sikowitz motioned for her to continue. "What does that have to do with acting?" Sikowitz chuckled.

"Tori, Tori..." he sighed. "Why would we be talking about acting?" he shook his head.

"Cause... this is our acting class?" she offered. Sikowitz blinked, looking around.

"It's 5th period already?" he frowned. "Ah, well then. I guess I should probably teach you something then."

_Briiiiing!_

"Lunch time!" Cat squealed, running out of the classroom. Jade rolled her eyes, but slung her bag over her shoulder and followed, Beck closely behind. Tori and Andre exited together laughing and chatting.

"Why else would we all be in the classroom?" Tori chortled. Andre shrugged, grinning.

"Maybe he thought we all just came to listen to his amazing stories." They neared their usual lunch table and they could hear Cat talking to her best friend.

"After lunch I'm going to audition for the graduation ceremony dancers!" Cat squealed. "I've been practicing the routine like crazy!" Tori grinned as she sat down.

"That's great! You guys excited for graduation?" she beamed. Jade rolled her eyes.

"Duh. No more stupid math teachers pulling BS to my parents about how I must be cheating in class." she groaned. Beck grinned and pulled her into a side hug. Cat literally bounced in her seat.

"Me, Jade and Beck signed up for Julliard!" she squealed. Robbie slouched.

"My mom made me apply for Harvard or Stanford. Then Mamaw scared my biology teacher into writing a recommendation letter for me." he groaned. Beck winced.

"Ooh, that must suck."

"Oh my gosh! It's time for my audition! Gotta go!" Cat dashed off towards the BBT. "I'm here!" she announced, gasping for breath. "I'm Cat Valentine! I'm here for my dance audition!" The judges shot her a strange look.

"Go ahead." the dance instructor, Ms. Brooke urged. Cat took a deep breath, shaking out her nerves. As the music started, Cat forgot about her worries as she performed the routine perfectly. Showing natural grace and flexibility. The judges looked on in awe. As she finished, the music faded out and the judges stood up, cheering for her. Cat beamed, panting. Satisfied she took a bow.

"Thank you!" she grinned, skipping off stage. As she neared the entrance she was stopped by Lindsay, the head cheerleader.

"Cat!" she squealed, intercepting the girl's path.

"Hi Lindsay!" the redhead beamed, before gasping. "Oh no! Jadey says I'm not supposed to talk to you!" The cheerleader rolled her eyes.

"You shouldn't listen to everything that _witch_ says." she sneered. Cat frowned.

"Jadey's not a witch!" she protested. Lindsay huffed.

"Whatever. Anyways, I know there's only a few weeks before graduation, but Molly broke her leg and we need a replacement to cheer at the big homecoming game next Friday." she explained. Cat nodded, staring blankly at the taller blonde. Lindsay waited for her response, before sighing.

"_Do you want to cheer instead of Molly on Friday?_" she explained slowly. Cat perked up.

"Oh! Sure! That sounds like so much fun!" she agreed. Lindsay flicked her dirty blonde hair behind her shoulder, inspecting her teal painted nails.

"Perfect. Come to the gym after school and we'll go over the routine." she instructed, before walking off.

"Kk!" Cat bounced off.

* * *

"You what?" Jade screeched. Cat shrunk back.

"I'm gonna cheer on Friday night." she repeated, softly. The two stood in Jade's bedroom, talking over the events of today.

"Cat!" Jade protested.

"Whatty?" the petite redhead stared up at her friend, confused.

"You can't cheer for the Homecoming Game!" Jade's piercing blue eyes bore into the shorter girl.

"Why not?" Cat whined.

"Because... _Because!_" the raven-locked teen threw her arms in the air exasperated. Cat looked away, hiding behind her red hair.

"Why can't you just be happy for me?" she murmured. Jade frowned, leaning closer.

"What?"

"Why can't you just be happy for me?" Cat repeated, louder. Jade blinked.

"Cat..."

"Why can't you just let me do what I want to do?" the girl insisted, her voice getting louder. "I wanna cheer on Friday night, and I'm _gonna _cheer on Friday night!" she insisted, stomping her foot. Why couldn't Jade see? She couldn't control her life! If she wanted to join the cheerleaders, she would!

"No, you can't." Jade stated firmly.

"If you were really my best friend, you'd let me do it!" Cat protested, her voice rising to a high shrill. A pregnant pause fell between them. Cat blinked. "Y-you are my best friend, right?" Jade looked away.

"Well..." she bit her lip. She was never one for expressing her emotions. Cat felt salty tears beginning to sting her eyes. She blinked them back.

"Just say it, Jadey." she begged quietly. "Why can't you just say it? We've been friends forever and you still can't say it!" Cat pleaded, becoming hysterical.

"Cat, calm down-"

"No! After everything I've done for you! After I let you come to my house when your dad kicked you out! After I let you cry into my shirt all the times you broke up with Beck! But no! It's never enough for you is it? And after everything I've done, you can't just give me this one thing!" the tears were falling freely now. Fat, salty tears rolled down her cheeks, stinging Jade's heart. She opened her mouth to speak. Was this how Cat has felt all these years? Jade reached forward, but the redhead shied away.

"Cat, I... I'm..." _Just say it! Just apologize! Come on, it's just two words! Is that too hard? _Cat shook her head, brushing past the other girl.

"Forget it." she whispered, her voice hoarse. She fled down the stairs and through the front door, not once looking back.

* * *

The six friends sat at their usual table, but tension fell thick in the air. Abruptly, Lindsay sauntered over to their table, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Hey, Cat." she smiled. She turned to the fluffy haired Canadian. "Hey, Beck." she grinned, flirtatiously. Jade gripped her boyfriend's arm protectively. Beck cocked an eyebrow.

"Hey?" he replied with an uncertain smile. The blonde giggled, before turning her attention back to Cat.

"Cat! Why don't you sit with us?" she squealed. Jade, Beck, Robbie, Tori and Andre's eyebrows shot up.

"Cat..." Jade growled in warning. Cat snapped her head to stare at her. The two had a silent staring contest. Finally, Cat stuck her nose up in defiance. She turned to the cheerleader.

"Sure. Let's go."

* * *

**Sorry, I know I haven't updated in a while, but with the summer coming up there's been a lot of tests. And tomorrow I have a Strings concert so there's been a lot of rehearsals.**

**I know that Cat seems a bit OOC, but it's part of the plot.**

**~ Iz**


	3. Chapter 3

"Sure. Let's go."

* * *

The group stared after the redhead, watching in shock as she departed with the blonde.

"Cat?" Robbie gaped. He stood up to go after her, but Jade shook her head.

"Let her go." she snapped, eyes darkening. Robbie frowned, but after a harsh glare from the goth, he quickly complied. Beck glanced over at his girlfriend, she was obviously hiding something.

"Jade..." he probed. Jade's eyes cut over to him.

"What?" she demanded, warily. Beck pursed his lips.

"Do you know anything about why..." he gestured to the departing Cat. Jade paused, biting the inside of her lip.

"No." she decided, standing up. Tori furrowed her eyebrows.

"Jade!" she called her back.

"Drop it!" the girl shouted back, walking away. Andre and Tori exchanged a glance. Something wasn't right. And they were going to figure out what it was.

* * *

"I was dreaming of the past..." Jade's melodious voice floated out, accompanied by Andre's piano playing. She trailed off, searching for the lyrics. When she missed the beat, she threw her head back, groaning. Andre's fingers slowed and he scooted away from the keyboard.

"Are you okay?" he arched an eyebrow. Jade sighed, burying her face in her hands.

"Yeah, I just... have a lot on my mind." she huffed. Andre scooted closer. This was his chance to figure out what had happened at lunch.

"Hm? What about?" he prodded. Jade shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. Come on, let's just get back to this stupid project." she urged, placing the headphones on her head once again.

"No, no." Andre removed the headphones, grinning playfully.

"Come on, tell me." he pressed. Jade glared at him, but sighed in defeat.

"I kinda... had a fight with Cat." she admitted, looking down into her lap. Andre nodded thoughtfully. That explained why they were acting so strangely during lunch. But that didn't explain why Cat left to eat at someone else's table. The _cheerleader's_ table to be precise.

"Cat? Fighting with someone? What about?" he frowned. He couldn't imagine sweet, cheerful Cat in an argument with someone else. Much less Jade West, who could make a grown man pee his pants. Jade eyed him warily.

"Why are you asking so many questions?" she snapped. Andre backed up.

"Hey, can't a guy be concerned for his friend?" he chuckled nervously, leaning away as he saw the gothic girl reaching for her boot. Her favorite place to keep her scissors. "Whoa, whoa! No need to get those out!" he slapped her hand away, attempting to calm her down. His friend rolled her eyes, but moved her hands away from the scissors. An awkward silence fell over the two. Andre remembered the last time they were alone in this room. He gulped, rubbing his hands together nervously.

"She's going to cheer with them on Friday night." Jade blurted out. Andre glanced over at her, puzzled.

"What?" he frowned.

"Cat's going to cheer with the cheerleaders for the Homecoming game on Friday night." the goth explained, running her pale hand through her raven locks. A habit she picked up from her boyfriend. Andre blinked.

"That's what you were fighting about?" he exclaimed, incredulously. Jade opened her mouth to speak, ready to explain the whole suggestion, before closing it again.

"Yes. That's all." she nodded, curtly, before picking up her bag and quickly rushing out of the room. Andre reached out to her.

"Jade! Wait!" he protested. But the door was already swinging shut. Andre sighed. There was something she wasn't telling him.

* * *

Beck slid an arm around Jade's waist.

"What's been going on between you and Cat?" he questioned, nudging her gently. Jade rolled her eyes.

"It's nothing. We just had a little fight." she grumbled. Beck arched an eyebrow.

"And Cat's _still_ mad at you?" he pressed. Jade nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm surprised she lasted this long. Usually she just cracks under the pressure and begs for forgiveness." Jade admitted, surprised. Beck chuckled.

"Sweet, innocent Cat." he mused. His girlfriend smirked and leaned into his embrace. She intertwined their fingers and rested her head on his chest.

"She never could hold out for long." she agreed. Beck leaned down to kiss her temple.

"Come on, let's go." he urged, pulling her away. Neither of them noticed the flash of red behind the lockers. Neither noticed the small figure, crouching in the shadows. Cat frowned. Was that really what they thought of her? That she was too weak and helpless to take care of herself?

"Doesn't it bother you?" a voice sneered behind her. Gasping, Cat spun around to meet the intense gaze of Lindsay. "How they talk about you behind your back? How they think your so _innocent_ and _pitiful_?" the blonde continued, her blue eyes never leaving Cat's. The girl cowered under the burning stare.

"I- I'm sure they didn't mean it." she whimpered, shying away. Lindsay straightened up, huffing.

"See? When you act like that, they think of you as a poor little girl who can't hold herself in a fight. Look at Jade. No one would dare talk about her like that. You know why? Because she has power. Everyone fears her. She doesn't shy away when things get too _scary_. Graduation is coming up, Cat. Do you really want to leave Hollywood Arts, known as the scared little girl that needs someone to look after her?" Lindsay demanded. Cat bit her lip, avoiding the cheerleader's gaze. Lindsay waited, impatiently. When nothing but silence followed, she groaned. "Ugh! Fine, do what you want. But remember Cat, they'll always think of you as that scared little girl. You have to earn their respect. You have to earn power." with that, Lindsay turned haughtily, strutting off in her six inch heels. Cat stared after her, pondering her words.

_"They'll always think of you as that scared little girl."_

Cat growled. She would show them. She would show them all.

* * *

Beck sat in the library, quietly flipping through his book. Cat stormed up to him, eyes ablaze. She slammed his book shut. Beck cocked an eyebrow, looking up at her expectantly.

"Shh!" the librarian hissed. Cat shrunk back for a second, before recalling Lindsay's words.

_"You have to earn their respect. You have to earn power."_

"Stand up." she snapped. Beck furrowed his eyebrows, puzzled, but complied, slowly getting to his feet. Cat stood there for a moment.

What now?

"Cat?" Jade's voice called from around the corner. Cat gasped, suddenly panicking. Not thinking, she threw Beck's arms around her and smashed her lips against his. He let out a muffled cry in response. The noise drew the attention of his girlfriend, who rounded the corner.

"Beck?"

* * *

**I know it's really short, but I'll try to make longer chapter from now on. Promise!**

**~ Isabelle**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you BatAviana for reviewing to my story! I don't really write Bat stories, so please don't be upset if they don't end up endgame. Actually, I'm pretty sure that this story won't have any pairings in the end. We'll see how it turns out.**

* * *

Beck threw his arms around the smaller girl and their lips crashed together. Jade watched in horror as he seemed to moan into the kiss.

"Beck?" she gasped. After what seemed like eternity, Cat pulled away, gasping for air. Her eyes slitted over to Jade, nervously. "What the hell?" she screeched.

"Shh!" the librarian hissed again, irritated. Jade waved her away, her burning glare fixed on Beck. Her boyfriend shook his head, eyes wide.

"No! I swear-" he protested.

"I knew it!" Jade cried, her eyes beginning to sting. "I knew it! I was never good enough for you!" her voice cracked as she strained to keep the tears in. Beck reached out.

"No! Jade, don't cry!" he begged. Cat gasped. Jade never cried. Not when the mean cheerleaders trashed on her outfit. Not when the older girls from down the street threw rocks at her house, yelling about how Beck would break up with her. Not when her dad stomped on her dreams and claimed she was worthless. Never. Cat reached out to apologize, but Jade quickly turned on her heel and fled. Beck cried out in anguish. "Jade! Come back!" he cried. He fixed his gaze on Cat, and the redhead shied away. He huffed in annoyance before chasing after Jade. Cat's face crumpled. What had she done?

* * *

"This is perfect!" Lindsay cheered. Cat frowned.

"No! It's not! What do I do Lindsay? How do I fix this?" she pleaded. Lindsay cocked an eyebrow.

"Fix this? What are you talking about? There's nothing to fix!" she smirked. _'Except to fix me up with that hunk of a-'_

"What are you talking about?" Cat cried. She curled up in a ball, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry, Jadey! I'm so sorry!" she whimpered, rocking herself back and forth. Lindsay rolled her eyes, huffing.

"Don't be sorry." she snapped. Cat looked up.

"W-what?" she hiccuped, her voice hitched. The taller girl leaned in close.

"Don't you remember all those nasty things they said about you?" she hissed. "They probably talk about you like that everyday. Laughing at you, sneering at how your so _weak_ and _pathetic_." she continued. "And I bet they're no the only ones. I bet they all talk about you behind your back. Tori, Andre, Robbie..."

"No! Stop it! Stop talking!" Cat screeched, her voice rising an octave higher. Lindsay smirked.

"I'm not the one you should be mad at." she grinned. "Jade's the one you need to get back at." she urged, slipping out her phone. Cat gasped, pointing to the photo.

"I- Is that-" she stammered. Lindsay's smug grin spread even wider.

"It's not real." she shrugged offhandedly. "It took a little work, but it looks pretty good, doesn't it?" her voice remained neutral, but Cat could hear the layer of pride underneath her nonchalant manner.

"It looks so real..." the redhead breathed, inspecting it closely. Lindsay inspected her brightly coloured nails.

"I know." she nodded. Cat frowned up at her, her cocoa eyes still glistening with the remains of her tears.

"What do you want me to do with it?" she sniffed. The blonde's eyes glimmered mischievously.

"Send it to Beck. Act all sympathetic and all that crap. I'll handle the rest." she assured her acquaintance. Cat nodded, gulping. She couldn't shake the feeling of guilt settling in her stomach.

"I feel bad about this..." she admitted, quietly. The cheerleader's expression hardened, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"Just do it." she hissed, her patience running thin. Cat whimpered and nodded. Lindsay's glare softened into a satisfied smirk.

"Good. Don't worry, Cat. You'll get your revenge."

* * *

Jade slung her shoulder bag off and dumped it on the floor. Andre chuckled in amusement.

"Well you're sure making yourself at home." he grinned. Jade rolled her eyes.

"Look, Harris. I'm in a bad mood, okay? Let's just get on with the stupid project, so I can get out of here." she snapped. Andre raised his hands in defeat.

"Alright, no need to chew my head off." he protested. "...or cut it off." he gulped, watching as Jade's gaze slid over to the pair of scissors she always kept handy in her black combat boots. Jade sighed.

"Let's go up to your room." she groaned. Andre led the way up the stairs and into his bedroom. Jade glanced around. Many keyboards and guitars littered the floors and walls. Sheets of unfinished music were scattered across the floor. Andre rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Uh... I hope you don't mind the mess." he chuckled. Jade huffed.

"Whatever." she muttered, eyes downcast. Andre frowned as she slumped down next to the keyboard. Jade wasn't the... cheeriest of people, but she wasn't usually _this_ antisocial. He sat down next to her, eyes shining with concern.

"You okay, J?" he leaned closer, wrapping an arm around her. Jade didn't even bother shrugging it off. She sighed.

"Just... a bad day." she admitted, scooting away. "Come on, let's just record this song." she urged, eager to go home. Andre furrowed his eyebrows, but sighed in acceptance. His fingers began to fly over the keys, the melodious tune floated up to Jade's ears and she began to sing out.

"I was dreaming of the past...  
and my heart was beating fast...  
I began to lose control,  
I began to lose control...  
I didn't mean to hurt you...  
I'm sorry that, I made you cry...  
Oh my,  
No I didn't mean, to hurt you,  
I'm just a jealous guy...

I was feeling insecure...  
You might not love me, anymore...  
I was shivering inside,  
I was shivering, inside...  
Oh, I didn't mean to hurt you,  
I'm sorry that, I made you cry...  
Oh my, I didn't want to hurt you,  
I'm just a jealous guy...

I didn't mean to hurt you,  
I'm sorry that, I made you cry...  
Oh my, I didn't want to hurt you,  
I'm just a jealous guy...

I was trying to catch your eyes...  
I though that you, were trying to hide,  
I was swallowing my pain,  
I was swallowing my pain...  
I didn't mean, to hurt you...  
I'm sorry that, I made you cry...  
Oh, no  
I didn't want to hurt you,  
I'm just a jealous guy...  
I'm just a jealous guy..."

The tune faded out and Jade removed the headphones. She looked up at Andre, expectantly.

"How was it?" she demanded. Andre grinned.

"It was good." he assured her. A flicker of a smile crossed her face. A small, microscopic smile, that would be invisible to those that didn't know her. But Andre managed to catch it. He smirked, nudging her playfully.

"Is Jade West... smiling?" he chuckled. Jade rolled her eyes as he reached over and ruffled her hair.

"Stop it!" she snapped, swatting his arm away.

"Hey!" Andre cried in mock hurt. He gently nudged her back. The two playfully shoved each other until Jade accidentally toppled backwards. She reached out and grabbed Andre's shirt, which sent him toppling over as well. Luckily, he managed to reach out and stop himself from crushing the girl beneath him. The bedroom door swung open.

"Dude! What the hell, man?" Beck snapped. The two swung their heads over. They quickly stood up. Andre glanced down at him self and realised how bad the situation looked. Him straddling his girlfriend, Jade's hair tousled, their clothes wrinkled. Andre shook his head, eyes wide.

"No, man, it's not like that!" he protested. Beck stormed over, a furious expression adorning his usually, calm and collected face.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he demanded. Andre raised his hands as if to calm him.

"Beck, I can explain." he insisted. "We were recording a song and we just fell over, okay? Nothing to get worked up-"

"Yeah? Well explain this!" Beck held up his pear phone. Across the screen, a picture of Andre and Jade was displayed, the two deep in lip lock. Andre's eyes widened.

"Beck, man, that isn't real. I would never-" his sentence was cut off mid-sentence as a fist collided with his jaw. His head snapped back, and he turned to face a furious looking Beck.

"Beck!" Jade screeched, horrified. Andre's eyes narrowed.

"What the hell?" he roared, his hands tightening into fists. Jade placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop! Beck! That photo isn't real!" she snapped. Beck turned on her.

"Like hell it isn't real!" he growled. "Did you forget you have a boyfriend?" he screamed. Jade's expression hardened.

"Seriously? Your going to do this? Look who's talking! You're the one who was sharing spit with Cat in the library!" she hissed. Beck glared down at her.

"Okay, first of all,_ she_ kissed _me_-"

"And the _photo_ was _fake_!" Jade insisted. Beck took a deep breath. He laughed coldly.

"Maybe I should have been the one to accuse you of cheating for all these years instead of you." he chuckled, humourlessly, eyes dark. Jade's eyes widened in fury.

"Excuse me? Your the one, who not only, kissed Cat, but tried to play with Tori's ass before the Platinum Music Awards?" she screeched. Beck's eyes widened. How had she known? He waved away the initial shock, and ran his fingers through his thick hair.

"You know what, maybe getting back together was a mistake." he decided. Jade regarded him coldly.

"Maybe it was." she spat. Beck nodded.

"Then it's settled." he sighed.

"We're done." Jade finished, storming out.

* * *

Lindsay sighed, contentedly. Everything was going perfectly. Nothing could go wrong now.

"I did what you told me." Cat announced, softly. Lindsay smirked.

"And you did it perfectly." she praised. Cat smiled softly, before frowning.

"I've just... never done something so... mean." she admitted, fiddling with her fingers. Lindsay smirked at the naiive girl.

"Revenge is best served cold, Cat." she grinned in satisfaction. "You have to rise to the top. Eat, or be eaten. Conquer, or be conquered. Come on, Cat. Stick with me. I can make these last few weeks the best days of school you've ever had. I can show you what it's like to be at the top of the food train. To be popular! You won't have to rely on Tori and her little posse. All you have to do, is listen to what I say. What d'you say, Cat?" her voice dropped to a husky whisper. She stared at Cat with a devilish gleam in her eye.

"I'm not asking you to be my friend. You don't even have to like me. Just work with me." She was giving her a choice. She could go with Lindsay, or run back to Jade, apologising for everything she had done. Lindsay held out her hand. "Well, Cat?" she urged, her voice still keeping the sultry, encouraging tone.

Cat stared at her. Was she willing to give up all the friendships she had made over these past few years? Lindsay wasn't offering her friendship, that was clear. But she could give Cat power. Something that she had never experienced. Tori was always in the limelight, while Cat had been pushed into the shadows. If she joined Lindsay, they wouldn't have a strong, loyal friendship. It was more of a partnership. A compromise. Cat's loyalty, for a taste of popularity. Was it worth it?

"I'm in."

* * *

**So... good? Please, review!**

**~ Iz**


End file.
